My Featured Victim, Er, Customer – Judy G!

Jodi: Judy is quite an amazing woman.

The Lovely Judy G!

The Lovely Judy G!

I did an interview with her in May 2013 – you should check it out

https://jewelrybyjodizulueta.com/2013/05/31/featured-customer-of-the-month-judy-g/

I wanted to do a follow up interview with some fun questions this time around, so, without further ado, take it away, Judy!

What new and exciting ventures have you gotten involved with since your last feature? How did you get involved and what new things are on the horizon for you for 2014?
For 30+ years (since I was a teenager) I have been overweight and in the last 15+ years I have been the unwilling recipient of various health problems (many of which are made worse because of being overweight). So last summer I made the decision to seek the help of a Bariatric Doctor.  I met with the Doc last August and hopefully if all goes well, I will be having Gastric Bypass Surgery this March to be able to finally lose weight and keep it off.  I am so excited about this new “adventure” in my life. 
2014 is going to be the year I take care of “ME”!!!!
Judy after beginning her journey and losing 18 pounds!  WHOO HOO!

Judy after beginning her journey and losing 18 pounds! WHOO HOO!

 Judy Baby Shirt
If you could have a superpower for 24 hours, what would it be and why?
To be able to pick the correct lottery numbers so to win lots of money to share with and help lots and lots of people. But really any superpower that allows me to help others would be awesome. (Jodi here – Judy – you already have that superpower!)
The Winchesters knock on your door and tell you that you need to evacuate your home immediately because apparently that gorgeous vase you bought from the antique dealer is a cursed object – the last three owners of that vase wound up having an overwhelming urge to sing Barry Manilow songs off key until their eardrums exploded. 
Everything you own is completely accessible but you are only allowed to grab three things and they have to be completely shallow. What would they be and why? And Dean Winchester doesn’t count as one of them! 
My cell phone, my laptop and an extra pair of flip flops.
Because:
cell phone – I can’t seem to live without it (and need to have it ready for Dean and/or Sam when they call me)
laptop – can’t live without it either (I need to stay in touch with the cyberworld and may need it to help   look up info for Dean & Sam)
flip flops – Cause my tootsies always look awesome in flip flops and I gotta look good when I go out on the town with Dean.
Back to semi-serious – I’ve always found that humor has been a great way of getting me through some bumps in the road. What do you do to get through tough times? 
Laughter is def the best medicine.  I do look for humor and sunshine when it’s dark and cloudy.
I rely on my family & friends for the needed support –
My hubs is good at holding me and wiping away the tears.
My sister is my bestest friend – we’ve been through thick n thin together and boy the stories we could tell yah.  Most would keep you rolling on the floor.
My best friend Courtney is the much needed humor for any issue or problem.  She can keep you laughing till your sides burst. (Like when she thought “Keyless Entry” meant her car didn’t come equipped with a key hole.
What keeps,you coming back to Eldwenne’s Fantasy? (And will you come back even after that Barry Manilow question?)
I have returned to Eldwenne’s Fantasy several times because your jewelry is WOWSOME!!! The pieces you make each have their own “spirit”.  They can be statement pieces or pieces to compliment something else.
And the compliments I receive on each item I wear lets me know that your jewelry speaks to everyone.
YES!!! I will definitely come back again and again for more jewelry (Barry Manilow can’t keep me away from my fave jewelry lady.
Wow – THANK YOU, JUDY!!  We’re all so proud of you and look forward to more updates on your journey of doing something that’s incredibly difficult for all of us, but often neglected – taking care of OURSELVES!  Kudos to you, m’lady!!
VegasCon Update
I am now officially in stress mode – I had a dream that I had a dream about VegasCon.  Yes, you read that correctly.  I dreamt that the vendors room was in some god-awful, dark, dank,  basement the size of a closet and that my table consisted of a 3’x3′ desk.  Then I woke up and realized, “Whew!  It was only a dream.”  Only to still be in a dream.  And the vendor’s room was still in a god-awful, dark, dank basement the size of a closet with a 3’x3′ desk.
Then I woke up.  An hour late!!  My boys had to stay home from school.  I can tell you they were SO broken up about it.  It took hours to console them.
Ive been working my tail off with tons of cool new designs PLUS I’ve got some really cool new items that I’ll be selling, like my ode to Bobby Singer – an Idjit flask!
All of my designs are available at http://www.eldwenne.etsy.com
Bobby?  Is that you?

Bobby? Is that you?

As well as some brand new coffin jewelry boxes and more bookmarks and keychains, oh my! And I’m going to be having a MEGA cool contest there!  More details to come!
Tastes Like Molecules...

Tastes Like Molecules…

Pentagrams and Red Crystals Bracelet

Pentagrams and Red Crystals Bracelet

Ultimate Castiel Bracelet

Ultimate Castiel Bracelet

There's Nothing, Past or Present, That I Would Put in Front of You

There’s Nothing, Past or Present, That I Would Put in Front of You

Are YOU going to VegasCon??  Come say hi to me and my friend, author Kat Sloan!  She and I will be hosting some fun giveaways that weekend!!  Come check out Kat’s site at http://www.katsloan.com – her brand new book, Half Blood, can be bought directly from her site and you can read all about her plans at VegasCon, including a meet and greet with her!

Half Blood - The Lycanthropire Saga written by Kat Sloan

Half Blood – The Lycanthropire Saga written by Kat Sloan

Come follow her on twitter @katsloan7 and see her FB page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheLycanthropireSaga/
Thanks again to the lovely Judy G and check back with me next week for yet another fabulous customer feature – Ana Marie S!!  YES – two customer features in one month!  Look out!
Until next week, by ya’ll!

Viva Las Vegas, Partnering with Kat Sloan, and Saying Goodbye to the Hoboken Shelter

Better Late Than Never?

Well it certainly has been a long time.  I’ve spent the better part of January and February preparing for the second Praxis exam I needed in order to satisfy requirements for Teach for America. I was almost sure that I wasn’t smarter than a fifth grader.

I’m happy to report that I passed the exam (with only a handful of meltdowns!) and am now putting my nose to the grindstone to prepare for the next big event I’ve got coming up – the Salute to Supernatural VegasCon!!

I’ll be arriving on March 12 and the convention will be on from March 13-March 16.  This is the first time the Con will be 4 days long, so I’m really looking forward to seeing how it turns out for me!

And as per usual, you’ll find me there selling my handmade jewelry, my custom Supernatural pieces, as well as a pretty damn good supply of custom Walking Dead pieces too!  I’ll be taking requests that I hammer out as you wait, as always!
You’ll find some goodies like:

Large Woven Green Glass Necklace

Large Woven Green Glass Necklace

Lavender Crystal Ring

Lavender Crystal Ring

Pentagrams and Red Crystals Bracelet

Pentagrams and Red Crystals Bracelet

And of course, brand-spankin’ new Supernatural and The Walking Dead designs!

Tastes Like Molecules...

Tastes Like Molecules…

People in Hell Want Slurpees...only Daryl Dixon can say things so eloquently...

People in Hell Want Slurpees…only Daryl Dixon can say things so eloquently…

If You're Gonna Do a Thing...

If You’re Gonna Do a Thing…

Additionally, I’ll be manning the Clifhangers table.  Clif is the bodyguard for Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles.  Clif has an amazing fanbase, affectionately known as ‘Clifhangers.’  I’ll be selling the best t-shirts ever made, designed by the t-shirt goddess herself, Shannon Price.  Come check out the Clifhangers FB page and show some love!  https://www.facebook.com/Clifhangers

What is extremely exciting about this upcoming convention is that I will be partnering up with a very talented woman, Kat Sloan.  Kat is an author who’s written an amazing book: Half Blood – The Lycanthropire Saga

Half Blood - The Lycanthropire Saga written by Kat Sloan

Half Blood – The Lycanthropire Saga written by Kat Sloan

I am going to be designing jewelry based on her book as well as partnering with her at VegasCon to hand out some amazing promotions she and I have put together!

Kat and I will be hosting a meet and greet on the morning of the Con’s opening on Thursday, March 13 at 8:30am.  For more information, please check her page: http://www.katsloan.com/upcoming-events.html – GREAT giveaways exclusively for our guests!

If you’re going to VegasCon and want to join in the fun at the VIP Party, just click on this link: http://www.katsloan.com/vegas-con-exclusive-vip-giveaway.html

Want a wild ride?  Go buy Half Blood! It’s available for purchase on her beautifully-done website: http://www.katsloan.com/shop.html

Kat Sloan's website where you can buy her book; Half Blood, as well as see all of her upcoming events!

Kat Sloan’s website where you can buy her book; Half Blood, as well as see all of her upcoming events!

Please follow Kat on FB  https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheLycanthropireSaga/

Her  Twitter is @KatSloan7

Please drop by and tell her I sent ya!

What’s After VegasCon?

After VegasCon, life will become quite a blur of activity.  For about 11 or 12 days my daughter and I will be in Santa Monica visiting family, then after being home for about say, 2 days or so, I’m back on a plane going to Nashville for a job fair with various principals from the Nashville board of Education.  Teach for America will have circulated my resume and this will be my chance to meet and hopefully get hired by one of the great school districts.

After several days of being home from the job fair, it’s back to the convention circuit and this time it will be Washington D.C. – very cool!

For five weeks starting on June 1 I’ll be in Nashville again beginning the “Institute” portion of my life with Teach for America.  This time will not only be spent immersing myself in TFA philosophies and techniques, but it will also be my chance to search for a place for my family to settle in.

At the end of July, we’ll be officially moved into Nashville.

Saying Goodbye to The Hoboken Shelter

All of these upcoming events mean that I have to end something that has been a part of my life for a long time – teaching art at the Hoboken Shelter.

I handed in my resignation this past Monday with a very heavy heart.  My last class will be taught on Monday, March 24.  The people that I’ve met throughout my time at the Shelter have become an extended family to me.  I have people who are no longer guests of the shelter and still hop on a bus from out of town and come into class every Monday night – that means more than you can possibly imagine.

Everyone I’ve met has wound up teaching me so much about life, about spirit, and how creativity really has no bounds.  I’m taking these experiences with me to Nashville and will ensure that my students benefit from all of this.

If you’d like to volunteer at the Hoboken Shelter, please contact the shelter at http://www.hobokenshelter.org

Next week’s post is going to be another AWESOME feature with my customer Judy!!  We’ve met her before, and you’re gonna love her even more after this next post!

See ya’ll then!